Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) can be dated to ancient eastern medicine practice, such as the Chinese “Gua Sha” practice. Many studies have shown that IASTM has been effective in promoting soft tissue (such as tendons, muscles, ligaments, and myofascia) amelioration and healing by various mechanisms including stimulating the inflammatory process to increase blood flow to an area of injury and initiating the healing process to help break up scar tissue.
Currently, there are several types of IASTM devices on the market. However, many of the conventional devices are uncomfortable to hold (causing unnecessary strain on users' wrists and hands), difficult to use, costly and may require extensive training to operate, which are the primary limitations to widespread utilization of IASTM tools. Furthermore, such conventional devices are often not readily customizable to different hand sizes. Moreover, effective treatments frequently require multiple instruments from multiple manufacturers.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a new set of IASTM tools that are affordable and easy to use with multifunctional modalities and ergonomic and comfortable gripping.